Derby County regret will resurface if Man Utd or Chelsea transfer goes through: View | OneFootball

Brown played for the Rams in his youth, but was let go in 2021. Since then, he has become one of the hottest prospects in Europe.

Derby County have produced a number of fantastic footballers in the last few seasons from their own academy, however, an influx of financial problems at the turn of the decade meant that many of their own prospects moved on.

One of those to find success away from Pride Park is Archie Brown, 22.

The young defender joined Swiss side Lausanne-Sport in 2021, after failing to agree a new deal with Derby.

Unlike others in his age cohort, Brown failed to crack the first team with the Rams, instead staying in the U23 and U21 teams, despite impressing in the UEFA Youth League in 2019/20. The then left-winger scored three goals in six games in the competition, as his side were eventually knocked out in the round of 16 by RB Salzburg.

Brown picked up an assist and scored a hat-trick in the U18s Premier League Final against Arsenal in the season prior, earning Derby the right to call themselves the best U18s team in the country, despite the senior side playing in the Championship.

Nevertheless, it has been his impact since leaving the club three years ago that has truly brought him into the conversation as one of the most exciting young players in Europe, with both Chelsea and Manchester United interested, according to HITC Sport.

Brown has had great success in Belgium and Switzerland

Although the now 22-year-old first moved to Switzerland for the 2021/22 campaign, it took a whole season before he became a regular in the first-team.

Brown played in all but two of Lausanne-Sports' Challenge League games as the club was promoted back to the top division after a one-year absence. He scored five goals and helped out with four assists despite playing at both left-back and centre-back throughout the campaign.

It was this versatility that triggered interest from KAA Gent last summer, making 42 appearances in his first and potentially only season at the Ghelamco Arena.

Gent finished 7th in the Belgian Pro League, and won the European competition play-off against Genk, to earn a place in the Europa Conference League Qualifiers for the 2024/25 season.

His attacking qualities, as well as his defensive prowess have earned him interest from clubs back in England, with Derby now possibly regretting their failure to re-sign the star and give him a chance in the first-team.

Brown felt frustration at Derby

While the likes of Eiran Cashin, Max Bird and Jason Knight broke into the first-team at Pride Park in the years after the U18s Premier League triumph, Brown had to continue to watch on from the academy.

According to The Athletic, there were some people at Derby who had doubts over Brown's consistency and frustration that could boil over when things did not go his way, and this could have played a part in his eventual exit.

This lack of trust could have been seen as a reason behind his failure to become a star in the East Midlands, yet his struggle to lock down one position could also have been a reason why he took longer to develop.

Nevertheless, when on form, Brown was one of the most exciting prospects in Derby's youth teams, but it is unlikely that anybody could have predicted his rise in the last two seasons to become a target for top Premier League sides.